Can I Cut In?
by Cora-DragonSoul
Summary: Princess Lucy of Fiore lived in her own personal hell. A boring, pampered world where she is merely a pawn for her father and is due to be married off to an unknown prince. So what happens when her best friend crashes one of the king's parties? A short NaLu fic set in an AU where Lucy is a princess and Natsu is more like an actual dragon.
1. Part 1

**This is a short NaLu fic set in a fantasy au, in which Natsu is more like an actual dragon and Lucy is a princess. Should be 2 parts. Might end up being part of a larger story eventually.**

 **I don't own the characters of Fairy Tail. Unfortunately. Even if they're a bit OOC.**

 **Reviews welcome. This isn't really drafted and it's mostly trash, I just really love this idea.**

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 **Can I Cut in? - Part 1**

"Can I cut in?"

The princess started slightly as she looked up at the new figure, asking to dance with her. She didn't even give her current dancing partner a chance to respond before she was stepping back, disengaging herself from his grip, in order to allow the newcomer to take over. The original suitor bowed stiffly at them, trying to hide a scowl, before spinning on his heel and walking off, muttering something about being interrupted. Princess Lucy didn't care. He'd been boring and fake; clearly only trying to court her because she was the princess of Fiore. She didn't even know who he was. She hated masquerade balls. You couldn't tell who was who, and therefore couldn't tell who you had to avoid. And her beautiful, golden mask was hindering her eyesight slightly. Eugh.

Lucy's attention was suddenly brought back to the present as the new apparent suitor gently took her hand in his, placing his other on her waist, and took the lead. She looked up at him to see an intricate red and gold mask over his tanned face, pointed in the centre and sweeping up at the sides. Overall, it gave the impression of a horned dragon. She allowed a small smile to tug at the corners of her mouth before feigning annoyance.

"And what the hell are you doing here?"

"Aw, you recognised me?"

"I would recognise your voice and face anywhere, even under a mask. Now, answer the question. And how the hell did you even get in?"

"I thought it would be fun! Plus, the food is great. And I snuck in. It wasn't hard to find fancy clothes."

"Can take the boy out of the forest…"

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. I'm surprised you remember how to dance."

"'Course. You taught me. Plus I watched a couple of balls and stuff. Stealthily. Never got caught. Well, except for that one time…"

"Yes, yes. I'm impressed by your ability to use stealth." She sighed. Might as well just run with it. Her best friend, who she'd met in the nearby forest during one of her childhood escapades (one of her many attempts at running away), had snuck in to join her on her last day of freedom. He knew, as well as she, that tonight her father, the king, would pick out her husband. It was a nightmare. Finally, she smiled.

"I'm glad you're here. Let's just enjoy it." The boy smiled in response, before focusing on the dancing (it was still sort of hard for him).

After a few minutes, someone clearly got sick of the newcomer monopolising the princess' time and approached them. "Excuse me, may I cut in?"

Lucy responded first. "No, you may not. Go away." Away from her father's sight and hearing, she refused to even pretend to be polite.

Her friend chuckled at the stunned look on the man's face. "You heard the lady." He said, gleefully. "Off you go!" As the failed interruption walked away dejectedly, they promptly refocused their attention on each other and the dance.

Lucy let out a small sigh as they danced. "I wish I could come with you."

The masked boy quirked an eyebrow. "If you came with me you'd be missing out on all your luxuries, Princess. Lots of dirt, few hot showers. No servants, no cooks, no tailors. It'd be dangerous and chaotic and-"

"But it would have you." She cut him off. "It's always more fun when I'm with you. We'd have adventures and every day would be new and exciting. There would be people who'd love me. Besides, I'm sure you wouldn't let me go completely without my luxuries." She smiled in glee at the thought. She didn't care about comforts and servants. This life she currently lived was her own personal hell.

He pulled her closer; his face hovering scant inches from hers. She just gazed back at him as they allowed themselves to get lost in each others eyes.

The pair were so caught up in each other that they didn't notice as other party-goers started to stop and stare. Their beatifically synchronised and gracefully complex steps were mesmerising to watch. It caused a few women to swoon at the perfectly matched duo, while causing men to grumble at the fact that clearly someone was connecting with their romantic target. Unfortunately, it also caught the notice of the king's advisor, who promptly informed the king that 'some unknown' was dancing with his daughter; and holding her slightly tighter than propriety allowed. And that his daughter was refusing all other attempts.

They didn't notice as King Jude pushed his way through the crowd to scowl at the sight before signalling the musicians to stop playing.

They nearly didn't notice that the music had stopped playing, but the boy with the dragon mask was paying just enough attention, helped by unnatural hearing. He brought the dance to a halt, grinning at his partner, who was panting slightly from the intense dance. They broke apart from each other to turn and look at the king. Lucy moved to the side, knowing well that her father was going to address the boy rather than her. But Lucy managed to whisper one last thing to the boy, for only him to hear; "Take me away from here…"

"Well, boy. It seems my daughter has taken an interest in you. Remove your mask so I may know who you are."

The king sounded polite, but Lucy knew better. He was aggravated.

The unknown (to everyone except Lucy) boy whipped off his mask and gave a ridiculous sweeping bow. It was clunky and Lucy detected sarcasm in the motion, but it was correct in form. Unfortunately, and more importantly, it was shallow, marking himself equal to the ruler in front of him. It was a significant, if unintended, insult, and everyone knew it. His eyes, near black yet flecked with gold, sparkled as he grinned at the king.

There were gasps and murmurs from the crowd. The removal of the mask had revealed pastel-pink hair. Unusually coloured hair wasn't unheard of, but it normally signalled the presence of magic users. Lucy knew that the town healer had bright pink hair, and her apprentice had blue hair, for example. The murmurs became louder as everyone suddenly realised nobody knew who this boy was.

"I'm Prince Natsu. Nice to meet you!"

Lucy nearly snorted. She supposed in all technicality, he was a prince, but it wasn't a title she'd ever heard him use. Her father's face showed the hint of a scowl. She was nearly impressed that Natsu could get his usually stony face to show _any_ emotion at all. Granted, she was probably the only one that could see it. No, actually, she bet Natsu could see. He was sharp in his observations.

The king spoke again. "A prince? Who is your father? Where are you from? I don't believe I recognise you from anywhere."

"Oh, I don't think you've met my father. We're from further west. Past the Woodsea. Though our people are a bit spread out across the continent." Natsu was immensely enjoying playing the prince. He watched as the king's eyebrow twitched. He was getting on the monarch's nerves, and he loved it.

"Spread out? I suppose you're some sort of self-styled 'gypsy prince'. This game is over boy. Leave now."

"No, I am not, _sir_. And no, I don't plan on leaving yet."

It seemed the crowd couldn't decide between stunned silence or loud exclamations at this boy's blatant rudeness.

The king's eyes narrowed. "You're on thin ice, boy. I can't decide whether you're brave or stupid, though I'm leaning towards the latter. Are you aware who you're addressing? I am King Jude, ruler of Fiore, and you are in my castle, dancing with my daughter. I am ordering you to leave or I will have you thrown in the dungeons."

Natsu merely smirked. "You can order me all you want. I'm not one of your subjects. I'm not stupid, by the way, I know exactly where I am and who you are. I will leave when I want and Lucy's coming with me."

Lucy nearly lost her battle to keep her face passive, feeling a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. This was the best thing she'd heard all day. Natsu turned his attention on her, his face softening.

"Lucy… Are you sure?"

She nearly squealed, but her upbringing allowed her to keep it contained. "Natsu… I'm certain." All that needed to be said had been said before. This was merely a final confirmation.

Suddenly Natsu's face changed. Fear and then anger flashed across it a split second before she felt a rough grip on her upper arm, tugging her backwards. Her father had grabbed her arm, pulling her away from her friend. She winced as his fingers dug into her arm; it would leave bruises, she knew. This wasn't new to her.

"You. I'll deal with you, later." The king growled at her menacingly. "Guards! Take him away!"

Palace guards, who had been slowly surrounding the rosy-haired boy, stood to attention and began to step forward.

A loud sound that was like a cross between a roar and a growl stopped them in their tracks.

Natsu's lips had curled back into a fearsome snarl, revealing his elongated canines. Another low growl rumbled deep in his chest as he stared down both the guards and the king who had hurt the woman he prized above all else. This was the brave girl who hadn't been afraid of him when they'd met in the forest many years ago. The first person to not run away. She'd played with him and he'd taught her about the forest - how to find her way, how to eat from the land - and she'd taught him how to talk properly and how to dance and, most importantly, how to make friends. She'd treated him like a real person, and now this old idiot was hurting her. Natsu was wavering on the edge of losing control of his anger. He addressed King Jude through gritted teeth.

"Let her go, old man."

"You will address me with respect, and you will leave, or you with _both_ suffer more than you can imagine." He dug his fingers harder into his daughter's arm, punctuating his threat. She let out a small yelp of pain.


	2. Part 2

**Thank you all for your reviews! I'll respond to them down the bottom. The awaited Part 2 is now here!**

 **I didn't really know where to go with this half, honestly. I don't think it quite caught what I wanted it to... but I'm hoping that the saying "you are your worst critic" is the case here .**

 **Anyway, I'll rant more after. I don't own the characters of Natsu, Lucy and Jude, though I've twisted them somewhat.**

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Natsu snapped. His eyes hardened and changed. The gold that was previously just specks, punctuating his onyx eyes, had now expanded to become the dominant colour; the pupils of the eyes had narrowed and looked more reptilian.

The party goers suddenly shouted and scrambled back as they spotted more obvious changes in the appearance of this strange, now angry, boy. Fear arose in the crowd as they watched sections of Natsu's skin, darken, redden and crack, giving the appearance of scales on his arms and hands, and framing his face. His already prominent canines extended further and sharpened, his hands took on a claw-like appearance.

Natsu's expression could only be described as feral. He took a step forward, one of his hands unconsciously half reaching towards Lucy.

"You have no idea who you're threatening, King." He growled, his voice low and threatening. "Let go of Lucy and I'll leave. But she asked me to take her with me, and I plan on giving her everything she asks for, so I promise that she is not staying here, no matter what you think."

King Jude took a step back and hesitated as he thought through his options. This boy was dangerous but he felt mostly safe in the middle of his castle, surrounded by guards. Besides, his daughter was too major a tool in his game of politics to give up easily. He pulled her back with him, refusing the request of the scaled boy.

Natsu noticed. He let out another roar. In the echoing silence immediately after, the first sound that could be heard was the sound of fabric tearing. Natsu's fancy shirt tore easily, the expensive fabric thin and flimsy, as impressive wings unfurled from his back. They were a dragons wings; dark red and spiny. He'd decided to let this stupid man know exactly who he was dealing with.

"My name is Natsu Dragneel. My father is Igneel, king of the Fire Dragons. I don't care whether you're a king or what, I won't let you hurt her and trust me, you don't want to mess with dragons!"

Lucy felt the grip on her arm relax. It seemed to have finally sunk in to her father's head who and what Natsu was. He might even actually be afraid. Very few people wouldn't be. She wasn't, but that was because she knew that Natsu would never, ever hurt her. Before King Jude could regain his composure, she ripped her arm free of his hold, reaching her other arm towards Natsu's already outstretched hand. With a quick and smooth motion, he grabbed her hand in his and pulled her towards him, briefly hugging her to his chest before letting her face her father.

Natsu smirked and relaxed as he watched the woman he loved. It had taken him way too long to realise he loved her; so long he'd nearly let her get married off to some unknown. He was definitely glad he'd shown up today. And she never failed to impress him. She'd managed to snatch a sword from a stunned guard as he'd pulled her from the king, and she was holding it with a skill few knew she possessed. Of course, he knew, and he was damn proud of it. He had helped teach her to fight and defend herself, along with her favourite knight, Erza. Erza was unfortunately away on patrol at the moment. She'd not only been the only person to assist Lucy escape the castle, but had also entirely accepted Natsu as Lucy's friend. She'd really been the one to train Lucy in sword play, but that was a whole other story.

Lucy watched as the guards faltered. Now they were pointing weapons at the royal princess; and she was pointing one back. She felt safe, though. She had Natsu at her back. She leaned back into him slightly, feeling his warmth lending her support. She knew his body well, and even in their current situation, couldn't help but think inappropriate thoughts about his sculpted abdomen and seductive grin… Okay, that was enough of that. Definitely neither the time nor the place.

"Princess Lucy," King Jude had quickly gathered his thoughts and was now speaking. "you probably see this as some sort of childish game to spite me. You will quickly get bored of this 'adventure' you're having and miss the ease of life in the palace." Lucy scowled at him. He was calling her a spoiled brat, but he was phrasing it in a way that kept face in front of the crowd. "Additionally, you are my daughter, and I am not willing to so easily give you up." Meaning she was much to important a pawn in his game. "I can not act now as you have somehow trained a wild animal as your pet, but do not think that I will rest easy while you stay away from your home." He wasn't going to let her go willingly. He would send people after them.

Lucy could hear Natsu behind her muttering some objection to being called a pet, however she was relieved to find he didn't snap back something insulting. She turned her head to look up at her dragon. She didn't bother responding to her father, opting to explain exactly what he meant to Natsu later. Instead she simply whispered, "Let's go, Natsu."

He flashed her the toothy, lopsided grin that she loved so much before wrapping his arms around her and holding her close against his body. "Hold on tight" he muttered back and she responded willingly, holding her claimed sword carelessly against his back, knowing that it would barely injury his toughened skin. Rolling his shoulders back, Natsu stretched out his wings and gave them a few test beats.

The dragon boy in the middle of the room lifted a hand, pointing it towards the roof. The castle hall was filled with screams and panic as fire appeared from nowhere, engulfing his hand for a second, before a large fireball was shot through the ceiling. Before anyone had time to react properly, powerful wings beat, lifting two people through the newly created hole, and disappearing from sight.

It's amazing what the right Public Relations team can convince a country of, even when there were direct witnessing. Within a week, the accepted story was that a magic-wielding criminal had somehow crashed the king's party and kidnapped his daughter against her will. Bounties were out for her safe return and the criminal's head. There were still some who said that the princess had left by choice, but these whispered remarks were quickly hushed. King Jude sat in his palace, caring little for his missing child. He would allow her to have her fun for a while, but he would bring her back when he needed her. What he didn't realise was that would prove much harder than he could ever imagine.

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 **So, I'm sorry there's no fight scene, and there's no proper NaLu stuff! It's sort of more a prologue style than anything else? And it's likely I'll eventually write another fic stemming from this, but I've got too many other ideas floating around at the moment. I get distracted way too easily.**

 **ANYWAY review responses!**

 **Sara: Shots fired! Shit sort of got real? The royal guards are a bit useless, honestly.**

 **Black Starry Dragco: Here it is! Hope you like it!**

 **Hope: Thank you! Glad you thought it was cute :3**

 **fanficlove2014: Thank you! I have this pretty specific idea in my head of what Natsu and Lucy's relationship looks like, and I think I got it down pretty well. I just think they would know each other inside-out and have complete trust in one another. But your comment made me happy :D**

 **Child: *screams back* Thank you! I love these AUs so I'm really glad you like it! I am devious *mwahaha* but it's mostly because that was roughly the halfway point? I'm really happy that you think the characters are done well and naturally! That's probably my biggest fear!**

 **Anne-Marie: I hope you like it! Sorry if it seems a little anti-climactic...**

 **kat5552: I'm glad you share my likes! I hope it was what you wanted!**

 **agnytepetr: THANK YOU! I'm sorry if I took too long! I got distracted with other story ideas... I can't focus for long...**

 **Dark Shining Light: They are the best! Let me know if you've written any or know of any awesome ones! I'd love to get more inspiration! Hope I haven't kept you waiting for too long!**

 **BlackKat17: It's out now! :D less than 12 hours after you asked! Thanks for the reminder to finish! Otherwise I may have forgotten... :P**

 **THANK YOU EVERYONE! I love getting reviews! It's such a huge boost to the self-esteem of a new writer! It really helps keep me inspired and wanting to write! Again, sorry if this half is a little anti-climatic... I think it's a bit clunkier than the first chapter. Maybe I rushed it? But I hope you liked it anyway!**

 **If you're lucky, I might do a short thing about what happened to Natsu & Lucy immediately after fleeing the castle at some point, but it might be a little while.**


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